Synopsis
Birdsong (2012) is a BBC Two two-part drama you can watch online on iFILM, adapted from Sebastian Faulks' 1993 bestselling novel by screenwriter Abi Morgan. Eddie Redmayne stars as Stephen Wraysford; Philip Martin directed.
The story cuts between two eras. In 1910, Stephen arrives in the French city of Amiens and begins a secret affair with Isabelle Azaire — played by Clémence Poésy — a married woman who will shape every decision he makes for the rest of his life. By 1916 he is a lieutenant in the trenches of the Somme, leading men through tunnels under No Man's Land, carrying the weight of that lost love alongside everything else. Matthew Goode, Richard Madden, and a young George MacKay round out the cast.
What sets this apart from standard WWI productions is the intimacy: the war scenes are brutal but short; most of the running time belongs to faces, silences, and letters. If you read the novel, Redmayne's performance alone makes it worth watching. Stream Birdsong (2012) online on iFILM.
All seasons
Starring
Comments 0